Austria

Capital: Vienna Population: 8,414,638 Official Languages: German Time Zone: +01 / Summer +02 Dialing Code: +43

Government: Federal parliamentary Area: 83,855 km2 largest city: Vienna Currency : Euro ISO 3166 code: AT

Basic Info

Austria, officially the Republic of Austria, is a landlocked country of roughly 8.47 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Hungary and Slovakia to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The territory of Austria covers 83,855 square kilometres (32,377 sq mi) and has a temperate and alpine climate. Austria's terrain is highly mountainous due to the presence of the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500 metres (1,640 ft), and its highest point is 3,798 metres (12,461 ft). The majority of the population speak local Austro-Bavarian dialects of German as their native language, and German in its standard form is the country's official language. Other local official languages are Hungarian, Burgenland Croatian, and Slovene.

Geography

Austria is a largely mountainous country due to its location in the Alps. The Central Eastern Alps, Northern Limestone Alps and Southern Limestone Alps are all partly in Austria. Of the total area of Austria (84,000 km2 or 32,433 sq mi), only about a quarter can be considered low lying, and only 32% of the country is below 500 metres (1,640 ft). The Alps of western Austria give way somewhat into low lands and plains in the eastern part of the country.

Climate

The greater part of Austria lies in the cool/temperate climate zone in which humid westerly winds predominate. With nearly three-fourths of the country dominated by the Alps, the alpine climate is predominant. In the east—in the Pannonian Plain and along the Danube valley—the climate shows continental features with less rain than the alpine areas. Although Austria is cold in the winter (−10 – 0 °C), summer temperatures can be relatively warm, with average temperatures in the mid-20s and a highest temperature of 39.7 °C (103.5 °F).

Religion

At the end of the 20th century, about 74% of Austria's population were registered as Roman Catholic, while about 5% considered themselves Protestants.

Administrative divisions

As a federal republic, Austria is divided into nine states (German: Bundesländer). These states are then divided into districts (Bezirke) and statutory cities (Statutarstädte). Districts are subdivided into municipalities (Gemeinden). Statutory Cities have the competencies otherwise granted to both districts and municipalities. The states are not mere administrative divisions but have some legislative authority distinct from the federal government, e.g. in matters of culture, social care, youth and nature protection, hunting, building, and zoning ordinances. In recent years, it has been discussed whether today it is appropriate for a small country to maintain ten parliaments.

State	Capital	Area (km²)	Population
Burgenland	Eisenstadt	3,966	286,215
Carinthia	Klagenfurt	9,536	557,773
Lower Austria	Sankt Pölten	19,174	1,617,455
Salzburg	Salzburg	7,154	534,122
Styria	Graz	16,392	1,213,255
Tyrol	Innsbruck	12,648	714,449
Upper Austria	Linz	11,980	1,416,772
Vienna	Vienna	414	1,731,236
Vorarlberg	Bregenz	2,601	371,741

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